The American Legion Online Update e-newsletter

In addition to being the commander of Paris Post 1, Department of France, I am also serving our youth in the Boy Scouts of America, Transatlantic Council (TAC), Charlemagne District. When newly elected Department Commander James Settle asked if I would accept an appointed position which matches my other volunteer service hours within the Boy Scouts, I naturally hesitated and then agreed.

On Monday, June 24, 2013, I announced my new Legion position on the TAC Facebook page, “TAC Nation,” as follows:

“I've just agreed to serve as the Scouting Director for The American Legion, Department of France (my other volunteer hours go to the Legion as commander of the Paris Post 1). If there is an American Legion post near your Boy Scout troop, there may be an opportunity to partner the two groups of active volunteers. See the national Legion website for more details about The American Legion’s support of Scouting. If you're interested in the Legion programs (like the Eagle Scout Scholarship, etc.) then send me a message. Thank you. Carl Hale http://www.legion.org/scouting”

The TAC Nation Facebook page has 755 members as a private group. As a Registered Scout Adult Leader, I am one of those 755. Let me know if your post has Scouting news which needs to reach the Transatlantic Council.

So now I’ll also become a regular contributor to the department newsletter. I’ll discuss Legion Scouting and Scouting within Europe, while also touching on the other areas where I help within our team of volunteers.

If you don’t already know, I am also your contact for the department social media program. Hmmm, I like that title more than Department Webmaster. I would like to make a motion: “Change title from Department Webmaster to Department Social Media Program Manager.”

Any discussion? Yes. You now have the opportunity to include your individual Legion post meeting dates and event planning on the official department website, www.AmerLegionDeptFrance.org.

We agreed as a department committee during the June convention that I could create a special tab on the department website for any post that does not have their own website. This will enable all posts to at least provide their meeting location, meeting dates and start times, and even planned events at a central location, the official Department of France website.

If your post is interested, just send me an email at crlhl@hotmail.com and communicate your ideas and requests. I’ll need some time to complete the task but promise (like a good Scout) that I’ll do my best to help you be prepared to serve veterans within your community.

And if you also didn’t know, I created the official department Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ALDeptFrance. We can quickly update Facebook users with department event photos while they are happening. During the June convention (during the breaks, not the meetings), I was posting photos of our newly elected officers, the horseshoe tournament and the banquet. As of June we have 60 persons who “LIKE” the department Facebook site. Even if you do not use Facebook, you surely know friends and family who do use it for social networking. I ask all Department of France members to please share our links with everyone they know who support Legion values.

This is our opportunity to strengthen our support network through instant communications. Whether using a traditional website or Facebook to reach people of similar interests, the key word is “using.” We need to do this job together. The Legion, SAL and Auxiliary are all welcome to use our common entry points to the Web. Together as the Department of France Legion Family, we can improve our communications to reach all members and possible new members.

I include photos of a recent Boy Scout kayaking activity from our Brussels American School Troop 457 (http://www.legion.org/fodpal/photos/217334/brussels-american-school-troo...). The boys planned the activity, which was supported logistically by three adult leaders (registered volunteers). We all had a great time. The boys learned about working together and water safety … and they didn’t even know they were learning!

Thank you. For God and Country. Commander Carl Hale, Paris Post 1

The above is submitted on Monday, June 24, 2013, for immediate publication by The American Legion, the Department of France and FODPAL (Foreign and Outlying Departments and Posts of The American Legion).